Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind leads the nation in celebrating Constitution Day today; Day celebrated in the Central Hall of Parliament House
The President of India,along with theVice- President, thePrime Minister, the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Ministers, MPs and other dignitaries, led the celebrations of the Constitution Day, 2021 from the Central Hall of Parliament House.
Addressing the gathering, The President said that Parliament is at the apex of India's democratic system. All MPs gather here to discuss issues related to public interest along with making laws. In fact, the elected representatives of the Gram Sabha, the Vidhan Sabha and the Parliament should have only one priority. That singular priority lies in working for the welfare of all the people of their constituencies and for the interest of the nation. He said that there may be differences of opinion, but no difference should be so great as to hinder the real purpose of public service. It is natural for members of the ruling party and the opposition to compete – but this competition should be about being better representatives and doing better things for the public good. Only then will it be considered healthy competition. Competition in Parliament should not be confused with rivalry. We all believe that our Parliament is a 'Temple of Democracy'. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of every parliamentarian to conduct themselves in this temple of democracy with the same spirit of reverence with which they do in their places of worship.
The President was joined by the public across the country as he read the Preamble to the Constitution, as part of the celebrations. The president also launched the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry’s portal on “Online Quiz on Constitutional Democracy” today. Link:- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1775278
The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, in his address asserted that with the Constitution of India requiring the country to be a democratic republic, legislatures of the country should be guided by 'dialogue and debate' and should not be rendered dysfunctional through persistent disruptions. He expressed concern over steady decline in the productivity of the Rajya Sabha. Shri Naidu elaborated on the disjunction between the spirit and provisions of the Constitution and the actual practice. Link:- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1775291
In his address, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, noted that our constitution is not just a collection of many articles, our constitution is a great tradition of millennia. This is a modern expression of that unbroken stream. The Prime Minister said Constitution Day should also be celebrated because our path should constantly be evaluated whether it is right or not.
Elaborating on the spirit behind celebrating the ‘Constitution Day’, the Prime Minister said it was during the 125th birth anniversary of BabasahebAmbedkar, “we all felt that what could be a greater auspicious occasion than the gift that BabasahebAmbedkar had given to this country, we should always remember his contribution in the form of a memory book ”. He said it would have been better if along with establishing the tradition of Republic Day on 26th January, ‘Constitution Day’ was also established on 26th November at that time itself.
The Prime Minister said in the form of family-based parties, India is heading towards a kind of a crisis, which is a matter of concern for the people devoted to the Constitution, a matter of concern for those who believe in democracy. he said “more than one person from a family joining the party on the basis of merit does not make the party dynastic. Problems arise when a party is run by the same family, generation after generation.” The Prime Minister lamented that the spirit of the Constitution has also been hurt, every section of the Constitution has also been hurt, when political parties lose their democratic character themselves. “How can the parties which have lost their democratic character protect democracy?,” he questioned Link:- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1775257
Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla said, the Constitution of India is like a modern version of 'The Gita' for us that motivates us to work for the nation. If each one of us commits to working for the country then we can build 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat'.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Pralhad Joshi welcomed the dignitaries present there and greeted the Public of this great Country on the auspicious occasion of Constitution Day. He said that under the guidance of Prime Minister , Shri Narendra Modi ji, in 2015, it was decided to start celebrating 26th November as the ‘Constitution Day’. He stated that today, the whole nation and Indians across the world would join Hon’ble President in reading the Preamble to the Constitution after conclusion of his speech.
AzadikaAmritMahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate the75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of it’s people, culture and achievements. As part of this Mahotsav, today’s main event was held with great fervour and gaiety in the Central Hall of Parliament House.